Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has said that governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha, has no constitutional powers to issue directives to banks when he has not yet been sworn in as governor.
Okorocha, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary on Friday in Owerri, said the governor-elect was “behaving like a typical member of the Peoples Democratic Party;” and that he is “only interested in the state treasury.”
Okorocha asked Ihedioha to exercise patience until May 29 before he starts issuing directives to banks on the state’s financial dealings.
He said, “Emeka Ihedioha, who was declared winner of the governorship election in Imo State by Prof. Francis Ezeonu-led INEC in Owerri, does not have the right or locus yet to harass or give directives to the financial institutions in the state over their dealings with the state government.
‘The media report quoting Ihedioha as having given such directive is unfortunate and a sign of ugly things to come. Otherwise, Ihedioha should not have been the first of all the governors-elect in the country to issue such directive.
“We are also not surprised at his issuing the directive because as a PDP man, his interest, first and foremost, will be the treasury of the state, and the policy or the slogan of ‘Share the money’ will soon come back. But he should exercise patience and wait till he is sworn-in.
“He shouldn’t be in a hurry. There is a government in place and until May 29, 2019, that government should continue.”